Safe to love you (Ink Series - Spin Off Book 2)

by Jude Ouvrard

  'I’m sorry,'' I say sheepishly. I don’t want him to get mad; we've only been together for two minutes and already I’ve pissed him off. I fear it's going to be a long night.

  The cab is waiting downstairs for us and I try to give myself one final pep talk before getting in. Once inside, Dean rubs his fingers against mine and I’m guessing he wants to hold my hand. At the moment, all I want is space. I need a few minutes to regain control of my emotions. Slowly breathing in and out does the trick. I try ignoring the smell inside the car. Maybe the driver should try to ease off with his bottle of cheap cologne. That and the heat must be on, because I can’t believe how hot it is in here. Dean must have noticed because he lowers his window, giving me just enough air to make the ride tolerable. I have to admit it’s nice of him to make sure I’m comfortable.

  I'm going to see Muse. I should be super excited, not angry. I stare out of the window of the cab, trying to force a smile. Muse is my favorite band. Matthew Bellamy is kind of hot, too, and that's a bonus. Now, I manage a smile. WaMu Theatre, here I come!

  Jessie and Jonathan are waiting for us at the entrance. As soon as Jessie sees us, she runs over to greet us both. She's so excited, she can hardly contain herself. She hugs me tightly, squeezing out my breath in a whoosh. She makes me laugh, because it isn’t like her to be so demonstrative. She’s nice but she isn't usually the touchy feely type. I think this is only the second time she’s hugged me since I met her. I can’t help but wonder if something is up tonight that she knows…that I don’t.

  When I met Dean, he introduced me to Jessie and Jonathan. They’ve been good friends with Dean since their first year of high school together. Jessie and Jonathan were high school sweethearts and I’m pretty certain they’ll end up getting married. It’s part of our regular routine to see them a few times a week, at their place or Dean’s, and about every two weeks we make it out for an official couple’s date. Jessie and I shared a few mutual classes on campus, so we hung out a bit at college, but we were never particularly close. I’d classify her as a friend, but sometimes, I get the impression she’s keeping an eye on me for Dean. Jessie is a nice girl, but she’s not the kind of friend I can talk to about anything important. She has a very close friendship with Dean, so it’s not an option to talk about our relationship with her.

  Dean's trying to touch me again, which creates a flash of annoyance, but I quickly clamp down on it. He places his hand on the small of my back, and smoothly slides it down to my ass. I let him, because if I protest, it will have the same effect as a nuclear bomb and he’s likely to explode with anger.

  ''Come on, Jessie, we have to hurry! I want to be as close as possible to the stage.'' I say with uncontained excitement. We leave the men behind in our rush to the front of the crowd. The further away I am from Dean, the better I feel. We have floor tickets, which mean no seats. We’ll be standing, jumping and dancing in front of the band all night. I want to be sure we get to be in the front. I hold Jessie's hand firmly, trying to force our way to the front. There are so many people here already! My heart is beating rapidly, I'm excited and anxious to see Muse live on stage.

  Lana Del Rey is the opening act. I've heard a little about her, but not too much. When she gets on stage, I instantly fall in love. She’s so mysterious and so young, but her voice is amazingly mature. It's breathtaking. I am already planning on buying all of her songs for my iPod, as soon as I get home.

  ''What's up between you and Dean?'' Jessie asks curiously between a break in the set.

  I know I have to be careful. They were his friends first, and I’m certain they'll always choose his side, over mine. I try to casually brush it off. ''Nothing, we had a little argument before we got here. That's all.''

  ''Are you sure you guys are alright?'' I roll my eyes at how curious she is, and I sense she’s digging for information. The fact that I’m not giving anything away frustrates her. She flicks her hair as if she’s trying to brush me off. I don’t want to be rude to her and tell her to butt out; she doesn't deserve that.

  ''I guess we'll see,'' I say. I lower my gaze, not wanting to meet her eyes. I know now that tomorrow has to be the end, for sure. I just can’t take this anymore. It isn’t fair to me, him or them.

  Jessie lets the subject drop, and we dance to Lana's voice and music. Dean's not as glued to my side as he normally would be, and I feel like I’ve been given a reprieve for the moment. Jessie's dancing and having a great time. She has no coordination, but she doesn’t seem to care one bit and she makes me smile. I’m dancing freely, having a good time as I follow the rhythm of the music. Suddenly, Jessie's attention is on something behind me.

  Before I can turn around to see what she’s looking at, I feel someone touch either side of my hips, as they try to squeeze through the tight crowd. I automatically assume its Dean, but it occurs to me quickly that it isn’t him, because the grip is not as tense as Dean’s usually is. I glance behind me, and see a stranger. I feel every single one of his fingers touching me, sending a vibration of awareness through my bones. Or is it electricity? I can't even describe it properly. I hold my breath and close my eyes, trying to regain control of my raging thoughts. I’ve never felt anything like this, it almost seems supernatural. A wave of shivers spreads along my spine, awakening all of my senses.

  He lets go, and I feel empty – drained of all energy. I turn to look around at him. Who is he? I catch sight of him, still battling his way through the crowd. He's a few feet away when he stops to look back at me, holding my gaze.

  I just can't stop staring. He's perfect. His pale grey eyes seem to see right through me, his sexy as hell hair, his sensual lips; everything I see I devour and memorize. My heart's hammering in my chest – I've never reacted like this before for a man. I’m lost. Is this real, or am I dreaming? When I see Dean stalking towards me from the corner of my eye, I know it’s real. I’m afraid of what he’ll say if he notices this little moment. My palms are sweating and there’s a tremble working its way through my limbs. I’m excited, but even more afraid of what may come in the near future.

  I can't take my eyes off him; I could look at this stranger for the rest of my life. It seems as if we are enclosed in a bubble and only have eyes for each other. Everything around us becomes blurred. I hear the pounding of my heart like a ceremonial drum in my ears. Who is he? I have to know. I don’t want him to go. I won’t ever forget the sight of him.

  ''Hey baby, having fun?''

  I hear Dean speak, but I ignore him completely. I'm still staring at the perfect stranger.

  ''Baby, are you OK?'' Dean asks. ''You look like you’re going to faint.''

  The moment between us is broken. I close my eyes for two seconds and then flick my gaze to Dean. ''Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I thought I saw someone I knew, '' I lie. I lower my eyes and try to hide the fact that I am such a terrible liar, but my face is flushed…another giveaway.

  Jessie is staring at me with a question in her eyes. She saw what happened, saw the connection between the stranger and me. I've screwed up. Damn! I roll my eyes, trying to act like nothing happened. Don’t be too obvious, Abbie. A tiny smile appears on Jessie’s lips, and I can only hope she’ll let it go.

  ''Who was that?'' Dean asks coldly. I realize my answer will determine his mood for the rest of the night. I have to be careful.

  ''I don't know. It wasn't who I thought it was,'' I say quietly. Peeking in the other direction, I see the angel has disappeared. There’s a sense of loss and a shiver runs through my body.

  As much as I liked the feeling he produced, it scared me. I don’t know what to do about it or even if I should do anything at all. I have Dean glaring at me and the music of Lana Del Rey is still blaring out through the massive speakers. What should be a wonderful night is turning into another disaster.

  The insults begin, but I can’t comprehend them anymore. I’ve been hurt too many times already. Tears well in my eyes and I don’t know what to do. I can’t hide from Dean, or leave the stadium. I hav
e no choice but to face up to his anger.

  Chapter THREE

  Presley

  MY HEART IS racing and my stomach is in knots. Who is she? I’ve got to know. I can't leave, not without knowing her name or her phone number. When I touched her, I don't know exactly what happened, but I can still feel her on my fingertips. Fuck! I'm not stupid. There was something... something different when I touched her. I can’t even explain why I touched her, why both of my hands were on her hips. I’m not like that with women, so why her? All I remember is trying to get through the crowd, and then, there she was and it happened. For the first time since Kelly left, I feel some sort of excitement, a sense of joy. Shit, I actually felt alive. By the look on her face, I'm certain she felt something too. This is the strangest thing ever. I don’t know what to do about it, but something needs to be done. Tonight. I have to find her again and talk to her.

  I need to relax, grab a beer and chill out for a couple of minutes.

  "Presley, where were you man? I've been looking everywhere for you!'' Joshua says anxiously.

  ''Relax bro—I was just enjoying the show.'' I laughed, throwing my hands up in mock defense.

  ''Yeah, whatever. I think you were trying to find a girl. You think I don't know you, but I do.'' He says, downing his drink.

  ''Shut up, Joshua, I'm not that desperate.''

  ''Well, ever since Kelly dumped you, you've been acting strangely.''

  ''Don't worry, I'm fine.'' As long as I find her again, I'll be fine.

  I grab a beer from one of the vendors and drink half of it in one gulp. I try hard not to think about her, but I’m failing miserably.

  I search through the crowd—I don't see her anywhere. She can't be gone. No one leaves in the middle of a show, so she must be somewhere in the theatre. I need to find her, because there’s no way I’m leaving tonight without knowing who she is. There was something between the two of us, and I have to understand what it is. Could she be my muse? Is she a model? Do I know her? I have no idea, and it’s driving me crazy.

  I go back into the crowd with the beer in my hand. I'm so afraid I've lost her. I make sure I have my phone on me. If I find her, I want to be ready to ask her for her number, or at the very least, her name. Damn! I still can't see her. She was so perfect—so cute, wearing those purple Converse. Fuck, I don't even know her and she's already driving me insane.

  I walk around aimlessly, finishing my beer before I see her. I'm standing maybe twenty feet away from her. I can see her face clearly, and she looks angry. Some guy is standing behind her, holding her against him by her hips. He's whispering things in her ear, and she's constantly closing her eyes as if she’s in pain. I don’t know anything about her, but it’s obvious she isn’t happy being with him. I wonder what he’s telling her. I hope she isn’t in trouble with this loser because of me.

  Now, I have a big problem. How am I supposed to talk to her, when she's not alone? I just need to get her to notice me again. When I glance at my watch, I realize I've been standing here staring at her for twenty minutes, and she hasn't once looked at me yet. I'm losing my mind. I decide to step a little closer.

  I can feel the energy growing between us as I get near. Please tell me you feel it too, I’m silently begging her. I hate the desperation I’m feeling. What’s happening to me? When did I become so hopeless?

  She closes her eyes, and I'm the happiest man on the planet. I can tell she feels it too. I'm almost standing in front of her when she re-opens them. I get to see her eyes for the first time… they are perfectly, beautifully green. I smile at her and catch sight of the guy standing behind her—he’s wearing a fucking tie. I chuckle to myself, and stare back into her eyes again. She gazes at me and I can almost hear her asking me to help get her out of here. She’s trying to send me some kind of message. I don’t know what the hell's going on. She looks scared.

  The guy is digging his fingers into her hips, staking his claim, letting me know she’s his. I want to be the one standing behind her. She continues to gaze at me, biting her lip anxiously and I think I've died. I want to bite that lip so damn much, I ache for it. I have to control myself and not try to kiss her right here and now. I’m certain that plan wouldn't end well. Her boyfriend is hovering, as if he owns her or something. I'm not scared of him, but I don’t want to cause a scene.

  I see ‘tie guy’ pulling her against him and wrapping his arm around her waist. Asshole! He knows exactly what I'm thinking. He tries to kiss her neck, but she winces and shrugs her shoulder away from him in a very subtle way. I can sense her discomfort, and I want to help her. She lets him kiss her and the asshole is staring right at me as he presses his lips against her neck. Something is off about the guy, I can tell. His eyes remind me of Jack Nicholson, when he appeared in The Shining. How can someone who seems so sweet be with a person who seems like such a bastard?

  Normally, I'm a laid-back kind of guy; however, right now I'm seeing red. She obviously isn’t happy; she appears to be scared and angry. I try not to stare because I don’t want to cause her more trouble. I don’t like the guy and I have a ridiculous desire to have her near me, to keep her safe. I glance at her one last time before I head back towards Joshua. I won't be able to talk to her, not as long as she's with ‘tie guy’. It irritates the hell out of me. The woman seems to instinctively know how drawn to her I am, and she mirrors my intrigue with a wink and demure smile. She is so gorgeous, a natural beauty. If I could take her photo, right here and now, it would be the best portrait of my whole career. Her eyes are glowing with life, they’re so expressive.

  ''What the fuck, Ab? Do you know him?'' I hear ‘tie guy’ asking. I'm taking mental –notes—her name is Ab, or it’s short for maybe Abigail or Abby?

  I hear her deny knowing me and I see the fear in her eyes. If it’s even possible—he tightens his arms around her waist even tighter, now squeezing her uncomfortably. Her back rests against his chest and I see her lips mouthing two words.

  I wish.

  I hold back a smile, because if he sees me grin, it will cause trouble. He seems to be a jealous guy.

  I don’t look back at the pretty woman with the green eyes; I’ve already made too many mistakes by coming back here. I have to leave before this gets out of hand. I need Alicia's help. I’ve got to find Alicia immediately. She’ll help me, I know she will.

  I find Alicia and she’s kissing Joshua. Some things never change; these two have been glued together since high school.

  ''Ali, I need a favor. A huge favor, right now. Are you in?'' I beg her, not even starting with a greeting.

  ''What the hell, Presley? You look like you want me to kill someone. I'm not down with that,'' Ali laughed.

  ''I need you to go over to that girl, the one wearing a striped tank top.” Alicia scanned the nearby area and I gave her more information. “See her? The one with the blonde hair, and the green eyes…she's with the prick wearing the tie. I need you to pretend that you know her. Get her alone, and bring her to me. I'll be waiting at the entrance of the theater, alright?'' It’s the best idea I can come up with at such short notice.

  ''Geez, who is she?'' Alicia obviously thinks I've lost my mind. I know I will if I can't get the beautiful stranger to talk to me.

  ''I need to find out who she is. Our eyes connected and the energy we shared was crazy good—she’s driving me fucking crazy.'' I sigh. ''A good crazy,'' I admit with a smile. “I think she’ll enjoy a break away from her boyfriend. The guy is a total douche.”

  ''Alright, I’ll do it, but you owe me one. A BIG one.'' She rolls her eyes. Joshua is watching me like I'm some kind of lunatic. Maybe I am. I have no idea what’s happening to me tonight.

  ''No problem, I'll owe you anything you want. By the way, I think her name is Ab or something similar. Maybe her name is Abigail?”

  ''Okay. I'll meet you at the entrance, you weirdo.''

  Yes! My plan has to work. I can't consider it failing. I watch Alicia walk in the direction of my mystery girl. I can
only hope everything goes as planned. She’ll probably think I’m a total weirdo, but Alicia’s right, I am acting ‘off’ tonight.

  I can no longer see Alicia as the crowd shifts. I sigh heavily, anxious about whether Alicia can pull this off. The entrance is at the opposite end of the theater, and I’d better head over there now. This concert could end badly for us both if her jealous control-freak of a boyfriend follows her. Joshua is standing beside me, looking particularly unimpressed with my behavior. Can’t say that I blame him.

  “I hope you haven’t put Ali in any danger, Presley.”

  “No, I wouldn’t do that. She was my friend before she was your girlfriend, Josh. I just need her for ten minutes, okay? It’s worth it, trust me.”

  He doesn’t say anything, and I can see the worry in his eyes.

  “Look, I have to get going, okay? But if I thought Ali would be in any danger, I wouldn’t have asked her to help me. You know me better than that, dude.”

  “All right. I’ll trust your instincts on this one. So, I’m guessing this girl was pretty cute.” he said, with a knowing smirk.

  “Very cute. I’ve got to go or I’ll miss her and Ali will be pissed she did it for nothing.”

  Josh chuckles, shaking his head. “As long as she doesn’t turn out to be anything like Kel…”

  I cut him off. “Don’t say any more.” I turn around, trying to erase thoughts of Kelly from my mind. I have more important things to focus on right now.

  Standing at the entrance, my hands are sweating and I’m trying to think of what to say when she gets here. What if she doesn’t want anything to do with me? It’s a possibility, but I can’t think about it being an option. Not now. Positivism is the key to achieving goals. I’m already thinking about taking her photograph.

  Damn it, Pres, you need to focus. The last time you did that, you ruined everything.

  I hear Alicia’s voice as they approach. Scrubbing my hands across my face—I know I have to make this work. Messing this up would be a nightmare. I have to make this work.